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WOW! am I beat. I worked yesterday and afterwards I went straight to the stores to finish getting my last minute items for my Thanskgiving dinner, but while in the store I thought about one of my little residents at work. She has an ulcer on one of her toes that I treat on a daily basis and even though the treatment is helping the issue with it healing faster is the fact that she needed new shoes, her current shoes are so tight on her feet that they squeeze her toes together and the pain she feels from it as well as the toe not being able to heal properly, so while I was in Wal-Mart I bought her a new pair of shoes. She asked me to buy her some white socks because all she had were those ugly black ones and she hated them so I got her some socks as well.

I was just thinking about the 19 residents that I have on my unit that I care for giving them their meds and treatments and making sure that the caregivers do their best to make sure all their needs are met and then I thought of how some of the family members just have no real reguards towards them. These people had wonderful lives prior to being placed in a senior community whereas some of them didn’t have a choice in the matter they were just dumped there as they put it! And most of the families seem to care less if the management staff are holding up their end of the bargin with the promises they made to them when they placed their loved ones there.

I feel so bad for many of them because they are going without, its bad enough that the facility feeds them the worse food for the amount of money they are paying a month I know for my unit in Memory Care they are paying $8,000.00 a month and the food they get served is awful. Many of them need clothes and personal items so it was pressed upon my heart to speak with some of the caregivers that work on my unit on a regular basis, if they would join me in being a Secret Santa to our residents. While I was out I purchased 19 stockings for them for Christmas and as part of their activity this weekend we will hot glue their names on them and add some sparkles to them and then as the days get closer to Christmas we will be stuffing their stocking with things like soap, toothpaste, lotions, footies, shampoo, conditioner, tooth brushes, mints, tissues, perfume, cologne, socks, shavers, shaving cream, combs, brushes,wash cloths, jewelry, etc... because these people still have their dignity and they need someone to care about them and how they're made to feel.

I am so excited about doing this and if the ladies turn on me well I’ll just do it alone, I have a love for the elderly and I love my residents, and I know they know it too, because they show me it when they smile at me or hug me and some even tell me how much they appreciate all that I do for them, that makes my day knowing they know someone cares. They are so very special and precious to me. I love my job and I love what I do for my residents and don’t care who don’t like it! If I were in their shoes I’d only hope someone would do the same for me.

I am thankful for people like you today that do for others without expecting anything in return. We need to cherish the elderly for without them we wouldn’t be here. In alot of countries elderly are treated with much more respect and dignity. You don’t get paid nearly enough in my mind for the hard work you do! Thank god for people like you!

Neicy... I totally know what your talking about. I worked at a retirement home for 12 years and some of the families just seemed like they didn’t really care about bringing personal items for their mom or dad. I thought this was so sad I mean really, your parent’s took care of you and made sure you had the things you needed growing up, I would think they would do the same for them when the time came. It broke my heart to see some of them not getting the love from them half the time.

I use to do little things here and there for them as well, like go shopping when they were out of nessescities(sp)and do little extra work for them on the side. I didn’t mind at all, they were like my grandparents and I loved my residents. What you are doing is so SWEET! and KIND! they are lucky to have a person like you there for them.

God bless you, Neicy!! Your story touched my heart in a big way. You know that last semester I was in Nurse Aid training as part of my prep for nursing and medical assisting and we spent 6 weeks in a senior home. The experience will be with me forever. The world needs more people like you in it, my friend.

WOW! Thanks ladies, its just a given for me my heart is with my seniors, they have given their life of service and now its time someone gave back to them, it does my mind, soul, heart and spirit good to do it and when I see the smiles it just brings tears to my eyes I love them so much.

Thanks for sharing. You are blessed to be in a profession where you can actually make a difference! You are a very giving and unselfish person and like someone else said, you really do have a BIG heart. I know your residents appreciate all you do for them.

Hi Ladies, thanks again I love my residents and we have fun they really appreciate all I do for them and it does my heart good to see their smiles and receive the biggest hugs from them which is payment enough for me. Today I put up and decorated their Christmas tree which is in the livingroom area of the Memory Care Unit where I work and they all sat around and watched me do it and they loved it.